For more mouthwatering chicken recipes, head on over to my popular posts for Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken, Fiesta Lime Chicken and Rice Foil Packs, and Three Cheese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken. This might come as a shock, but traditional spaghetti noodles topped with ground beef red sauce does nothing for me. However, top those very same noodles with a buttery garlic sauce or crispy oven baked chicken parmesan and I’m a BIG fan. This easy parmesan chicken recipe is my favorite go-to version of homemade chicken parmesan. It’s healthier than traditional chicken parmesan (especially restaurant versions) but doesn’t sacrifice in the flavor or texture department. This lightened-up classic will help you stick to your healthy eating goals without giving up one of your favorite comfort foods.
How to Make This Recipe
Do you have 30 minutes? Then you can get the best parmesan chicken recipe on your plate tonight!
Why This Recipe Works
Healthy – For me, making a delicious and healthy dinner that pleases the whole family (even the husband) makes me feel like I’m winning at life. With just a few little ingredient substitutions, you’ll discover how easy it is to cook healthy and want to stay home for dinner instead of going out to Olive Garden. Flavorful – Adding garlic, extra seasoning, and fresh basil to your marinara sauce makes a world of difference in the flavor and broiling the chicken at the very end makes it nice and crispy and gets that melty mozzarella cheese all bubbly and just barely browned to perfection. Fast – You can’t get a simple parmesan chicken recipe like this on your plate faster at any restaurant. 30 minutes from start to finish – that’s crazy fast!Feeds a crew – Do you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed? Me too! This baked parmesan chicken dish feeds four, but it’s so easy to double if needed. And, if you have little mouths to feed, half of a serving goes even farther. Just be sure to make extra spaghetti. I swear, there’s always room for more spaghetti!
Is Parmesan Chicken Always Fried?
This is what I’m talking about with making healthy parmesan chicken. Usually, the chicken is pan fried till golden brown on both sides. In oil. While tasty, it’s not good for you at all. Baking the chicken is much healthier for you. And my recipe makes it not only healthier, but I think tastier too!
Ways to Customize This Recipe
To make the chicken spicier, consider adding a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes to the sauce as it heats through. You could also use chicken thighs for this recipe, but they won’t need to cook nearly as long. You should only cook them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, then follow the directions as listed. To up the Italian flair of this dish, consider adding chopped kalamata olives to the spaghetti along with chopped fresh basil, and maybe even some sun-dried tomatoes – yum! You can substitute any pasta you want for spaghetti. I like a longer, thinner pasta like spaghetti, fettuccini, or angel hair, but you could use whatever you have on hand.
Expert Tips and Tricks
For extra crispy breading, spritz the chicken/breading with cooking spray a couple of times throughout baking or bake it on parchment paper and turn over once halfway through baking. If you only have large chicken breasts, you can cut 2 of them in half lengthwise to make four smaller fillets, then pound those to an even thickness. This chicken parmesan will keep in the fridge (separate from the spaghetti) for up to 3 days.
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Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Olive Garden Breadsticks Grilled Margherita Chicken Best Easy Lasagna Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms with Parmesan
Did you make this super easy chicken parmigiana? EXCELLENT! Please rate the recipe below!
